Just want to say I thoroughly enjoyed your postings from Beijing, and now that I have found your "bog" again after having lost track of it post-Turin, I promise to keep reading. Perhaps not commenting (though I will likely be unable to help myself if you wax toward fermented milk products and gloriously inspired, generally obscure practitioners of those less commercial athletic endeavors), but definitely reading!

Just want to say I thoroughly enjoyed your postings from Beijing, and now that I have found your "bog" again after having lost track of it post-Turin, I promise to keep reading. Perhaps not commenting (though I will likely be unable to help myself if you wax toward fermented milk products and gloriously inspired, generally obscure practitioners of those less commercial athletic endeavors), but definitely reading!

Just want to say I thoroughly enjoyed your postings from Beijing, and now that I have found your "bog" again after having lost track of it post-Turin, I promise to keep reading. Perhaps not commenting (though I will likely be unable to help myself if you wax toward fermented milk products and gloriously inspired, generally obscure practitioners of those less commercial athletic endeavors), but definitely reading! Cheers, Bobbie

Welcome back, Dan! Your last post about the Olympics not mattering worried me. Sports doesn't matter, but "we murder to dissect" and it sure is fun! Listen to Charlie and Dave in the waning days of summer - they have a really good time, and will turn your day around! 2 hbp, the pitcher walked by Balester, 0 outs and bases loaded. Time to think back on Charlie and Dave's great moments! When I was coming out of the Home Depot in 2005 and heard the heartfelt, "Bang, Zoom!" when the Chief of Cardiology astounded a Charlie who was used to calling Tampa games, when Tampa was still "bitter as devil's spit" (Stephen Hunter-we love you! What a gift in our hour of need!) The experience of calling the woeful Devil Rays' games stood Charlie in good stead during a game this year in which there were 3 errors by Our Nats, and Charlie said, in a happy voice identical to his IHOP inflections, "This is the worst inning we've seen all year!" His philosophical comments on the Jewish Wedding of the Philly Phanatic as Dave struggles to cal the game is in my Charlie and Dave Hall of Fame, as is Charlie's "Cry for Coffee" in RFK and Dave's scolding, abstemious response. Dave's comments on Jr. Steinbrener's critique of the NL after Wang's injury on the basepaths, and then his saying, "Kiss that job goodbye!" The thrilling intro to the broadcast, especially Dave's call of Felipe Lopez's grand slam against Aaron Heilman to break open a game against the Mets last May, and Charlie's call of Zimmerman's walk-off on opening night in the new park. The best four words in our language? Charlie or Dave saying, "We're ready for baseball. "

Everyone hates the Nationals, Mike. Manny Acta hates the Nationals. President Bush hates the Nationals. The players' moms hate the Nationals. The Lerner family hates the Nationals. The Nationals hate the Nationals. And you hate the Nationals.

China was hard. The picture of Boswell asleep beneath the table said it all. Steins, may your reunion with your family and your time off be refreshing and restorative! May the "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, close bosom friend of the maturing sun, Conspiring with him how to load and bless with fruit the vines which 'round the thatch eves run" befriend and bless you and yours!